Chamarajanagara: The vultures, which once numbered in thousands, have now reached the point of extinction. Alarmed by this, the Union Forest Ministry has launched a survey of vultures. The census is going on at a time in Bandipura, Nagarahole and Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, Madhumalai in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in Kerala.
According to Forest Department sources, the number of vultures in the 1980s was around 10,000 and now reduced to just 250. The census was launched on Saturday February 25 and will be concluded on Sunday February 26 which aimed to save vultures which is an endangered species. On Friday February 24 in Bandipura the staff was trained on vulture surveillance.
In a sustainable environment, the vultures are chained to each other and do not survive by hunting. In the forest, vultures are needed for the environmental cleanliness of the forest as they live by eating flesh of dead animals. The Union Ministry of Environment has made a three year plan till 2025 to save vultures. This survey is the first step as Vultures, which play an important role in forest conservation, must be saved. The injection of Diclofenac given to cows is said to be the reason for the decline of vultures. This injection was banned in 2006. Dead cattle injected with Diclofenac and vultures that ate the carcass of cattle died in droves due to kidney problems, which was a huge blow to the vulture’ population. Forest fire is also the main reason for their decline. Due to all these reasons, an important bird of the forest is now on the verge of decline.
There are 9 species of vulture in India and Karnataka have 6 species of vulture including two migratory vultures. In the Western Ghats of the State, the white-backed vulture, red-headed vulture, Indian vulture, and Egyptian vulture are commonly seen in the forests. Vultures usually lay only one egg for every 5 years, and hence their offspring do not grow very fast. The vulture, which is as important as the tiger, is now disappearing.
The vulture survey will be conducted simultaneously in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This survey is being conducted in collaboration with Karnataka Forest Department and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). WCS Chief Rajkumar Devaraj Urs is leading the survey.
The forest guards and volunteers will observe the flight of vultures after identifying places in the forest and beyond the forest. They locate vulture nests and ensure the presence of vultures.
Bandipura ACF N. Ravindra said that officials would wait for the arrival of vultures to nests as they are feeding on dead.
